


Fire Burns Crimson and Gold

by Ozalina



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 17th Century, Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M, Witch Hunts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 07:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15702219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ozalina/pseuds/Ozalina
Summary: Arthur searches for witches, and finds Merlin.





	Fire Burns Crimson and Gold

 “I’m Merlin.”

The boy is young. Possibly no younger in age than Arthur himself, but eons more naïve. Wide eyes, air of the countryside about him.

“Pendragon. Captain Pendragon.”

-

The Colonel – his father – has them start their work immediately after arriving in the town. They make the announcements – anyone who is suspected of being a witch will be tried, and if found guilty, executed. No exceptions.

A reward of 50 gold pieces to each accuser whose accusation proves true.

-

Merlin doesn’t stop following him around. The men think it’s amusing to see their captain with his clumsy admirer.

Arthur stops minding on the second day, when he discovers that despite outward appearances, Merlin isn’t a fool. He lets Merlin remain so that he has someone to talk to about anything other than searching out the witches of England.

-

It’s a couple of merchants who come forward first, accusing the old woman who lives by the river.

Arthur doesn’t think she’s a witch, but his father orders her to the castle. She blinks, looks confused, and then they dunk her in the water.

She drowns while the town watches.

Arthur stands by his father’s side and avoids Merlin’s eyes on the other bank.

-

When Merlin forgives him enough to talk to him again, Arthur tugs on the cloth Merlin wears around his neck.

“Why red?”

Merlin shrugs, pulls away and blushes. “I like red. It’s just – it’s a happy colour, isn’t it?”

“It makes you look like a halfwit,” Arthur mutters. Red is wrong, red is bad, red stands out in the monochrome world of his father and the Puritans. Red is going to get Merlin noticed.

Merlin grins, nudges him with an elbow, and sprints towards the trees.

-

The entire company is under orders to attend church at least once a week. It’s once a day for any officer who wishes to retain their rank, so every morning sees Arthur kneeling before the Bible next to his father’s side.

The priest tells them of the evils of sorcery, of the temptations of women (and the devil – the two seem to be synonymous), and the hell that awaits those men who lie with men.

Arthur shut his eyes in piety, thinks of black hair and blue eyes, pretends it’s Morgana he’s thinking of.

-

Merlin presses their hands together and leans in. “Palm to palm –“

“-is holy palmer’s kiss. I do know Shakespeare, thank you, Merlin.” Arthur raises an eyebrow. “Just shocked that you know how to read. Or did you have to get someone else to sound out the words for you?”

All Arthur can think is that he’d rather Merlin showed his intelligence by quoting anything other than Romeo and Juliet where anyone could hear him.

-

He meets Merlin in the woods and lets himself be led to a meadow beyond any sign of civilisation. It’s still dangerous, he knows that, and he knows his father isn’t beyond trying his own kin for witchcraft.

But Merlin turns and laughs in his face, reaches up and pulls him in with a hand on his cheek.

They fall among the grass and Merlin pulls himself up on one elbow. “Kiss me,” he breathes.

-

Arthur’s only ever known women in this way, not men.

Merlin arches beneath his hands, gasps and moans as Arthur presses kisses to his chest. When Arthur uses his teeth to scrape Merlin’s skin, Merlin’s hands tighten on the back of his uniform and urge him on.

Merlin pushes him onto his back and slithers down his body with a wink.

It’s too much, and too fast, and Arthur’s hands are twisting in the grass.

-

He gasps and shudders –

Merlin smiles, kisses his cheek, and the world tilts back into alignment.

-

“There’s something about you,” Arthur whispers. “It’s like – like you’re not part of this world.”

Merlin smirks and runs a hand up Arthur’s chest. “I know. There’s no need to feel badly about yourself. Not many men can compare to me.”

-

There’s a commotion in the marketplace beneath Arthur’s window.

The men of the town restrain a single figure, who looks up with glowing eyes.

Arthur stops breathing.

-

He supervises the building of the pyre himself, and pretends he doesn’t hear the desperate pleas from the gaol window.

-

“Merlin Emrys, you stand accused and convicted of the crime of witchcraft. For this, and for all your other… sins,” Uther says with a disgusted sneer, “you are sentenced to burn, in the same fires that will torment your soul for eternity.” Uther finishes with a nod to the corporal standing by with a flaming torch. “Burn him.”

“Arthur!”

Arthur doesn’t want to look, doesn’t want to see the man who bewitched him, but protocol demands that he witness the execution.

Merlin is pulling at his ropes, not straining away from the fire heading towards him, but instead towards Arthur.

Merlin’s eyes look blue again. Arthur blinks, and Merlin is –

Gone.


End file.
